US deplores arrests in Myanmar

[kyawkyaw@xxxxxxx]

US deplores arrests in Myanmar

       Tue 08 Sep 98 - 18:51 GMT 

       WASHINGTON, Sept 8 (AFP) - The United States strongly condemned
Tuesday the arrest of 110 more opposition
       figures in Myanmar, saying the detentions would only worsen a
simmering political crisis there.

       State Department spokesman James Rubin said Washington had protested
through its embassy the arrest of another
       110 people, in addition to 110 detained since the weekend, and urged
the ruling junta to free them.

       US officials are urging the ruling State Peace and Development
Council "to release these individuals immediately and
       to take action to solve the nation's serious political problems
through serious, substantive negotiations with Aung San
       Suu Kyi and her party," Rubin said.

       Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, leads the opposition
National League for Democracy (NLD), which
       won 1990 elections but has been barred by the junta from convening a
parliament.

       "The United States deplores in the strongest of terms the September
6 detention of well over 100 opposition figures,
       both elected members of Parliament and party rank and file," said
Rubin.

       "Resolution of the political impasse in Burma will require real
substantive dialogue with the democratic opposition,
       including Aung San Suu Kyi and representatives of the ethnic
groups," he said.

       "Arbitrary detentions are unjustifiable and will only worsen rather
than solve the political crisis," Rubin said.

       Earlier Tuesday, Human Rights Watch voiced grave concern at the
arrests in Myanmar, in what analysts saw as a bid
       by the junta to prevent the opposition from unilaterally convening a
parliament.

       The New York-based group urged foreign ministers from Japan, Europe,
and Southeast Asia, set to meet in New
       York September 23-24, to condemn the arrests.

       It called on those governments to urge "all appropriate measures to
allow all citizens to participate freely in the political
       process ... and to permit them to participate in a meaningful
process of national reconciliation."

       In the Myanmar capital, Yangon, NLD members said the military
government had arrested 110 more of its members,
       bringing the total number of arrests since the weekend to 220.

       The arrests appeared to constitute a pre-emptive strike after the
NLD's announcement that it intends unilaterally to
       convene the parliament elected in 1990 by the end of this month.

       The junta said in a statement the party members had merely been
invited for a political discussion.

       But the US embassy in Yangon said military officials had admitted
that the activists were being detained to thwart the
       convening of parliament.

       US charge d'affaires Kent Wiedemann held high-level talks with
military officials on Monday to demand the detainees
       be freed, an embassy spokesperson said.

       Frustrated at the political impasse in Yangon, formerly Burma, the
US Senate last week voted to earmark 10 million
       dollars in funding next year to promote democracy there and aid its
displaced nationals.

       At least two million dollars may be released only after written
consultation with NLD leaders elected in 1990. The
       legislation must now pass the lower House before it becomes law.